Monday

On Friday there was once again an interesting article in theguardian, this time concerning the possibility of introducing a national quota system in our cinemas. This process, which we had up until 1960, forces cinemas in this country to show a certain amount of British films, a 'quota' if you will. Apparently the idea has been proposed in Spain, at a portion of 1 Spanish/European film for 4 American ones, and there have been protests against it. So, is it a good idea? The answer, as ever, is yes and no. Yes, it's good because it would probably revive the British film industry, discover and nourish new talent, but no, it's bad because we would probably also produce and show a lot of terrible films just to meet the quota. Perhaps, then, an intelligent and flexible quota would be possible? Perhaps. I have to admit to not being a fan of British cinema. I refuse to like it just because I live in the same country as it's produced - that seems rather naive. Most of the time the films seem provincial and small-minded. Exceptions, of course, have been made, and usually they've done so with American money. But I think I'd support the quota system. Although the overall quality may be reduced, we would be making more films, which can never be considered a bad thing.